I’m Gonna Hip You To The Tee: Remembering Teena Marie
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I can not tell you how many Friday nights I spent down in the basement of my childhood home back in Long Island, hairbrush in hand, lip-synching every last word, ad-lib and inflection Lady Tee poured into her song, Portuguese Love. God, I was such a homebody short on friends, never kissed, totally lusting after this one particular boy I’d loved from the first day I’d met him in the 5th grade. He wasn’t Portuguese, but that was just a minor detail. It was the sentiment of the words and the way Teena Marie sang them that transported me… transformed me… made me a believer. In love. And the possibilities.
On a starry winter night in PortugalWhere the ocean kissed the southern shoreThere a dream I never thought would come to passCame and went like time spent through an hourglass
You made love to me like fire and rain
Ooh, you know you’ve got to be a hurricane
Killing me with kisses, oh, so subtly
You make love forever, baby
You make love forever…
I love you to the bone marrow
Even when I’m asleep
And who are you to say?
What he does when I’m not around
Just because I fell in love with Casanova Brown.
But my God, I had to get grown to really appreciate the sheer talent/phenomenon/force that was the singer, songwriter and producer Teena Marie. Had to go through some heartbreak and some pain and come back out on the other side. And there she was, Lady Tee reminding every last one of us that we weren’t suckers for falling for the okey doke. Casanova Brown was a charming bastard and turned us all the way out and made us feel all kinda ways and mercy De Ja Vu, we’d all been there before. But we were going to be all right. Loving again wasn’t only possible it was necessary. Human.
ever…
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Your sincere tribute to Teena Marie is perfect. Her talent will be missed but we have the memories made because of it to hold onto..Thank you
I remember when I first heard Teena back in the 70's I was in Junior High School and I just knew that she was a sista! Her voice was awesome, and she was really a down to earth person. She will be greatly missed. We loved her but God loved her more. Rest in Peace until we meet again.
What a great tribute. So, sad! She'll definitely be missed.
Winks & Smiles,
Wifey
Beautiful…RIP Teena!
I remember my mama jammin' to Ms. Teena, and I grew to love her music as well. Was just bumping Square Biz the day before learning of her death. She will be missed.
Oh yes she will be missed! When Tina M. came on with Rick James…my parents were about to party. My sister and I loved watching, joining in and just straight trippin that this white girl could sang. Now, that might not be politically correct but it was a HUGE thing back then. She rocked it like a sista and came correct every time.
Such a beautiful tribute to her. **** @ Arlice that's my favorite of hers {Square Biz} – oh we knew we were something when that was playin.